Mattress



March 4, 1941. R. H. HAMBLIN 2,233,527

MATTRES S Filed Dec. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @ma C3/N March 4, 1941. R H, HAMBLIN 2,233,527

MATTRESS Filed Deo. 6, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a mattress construction, with particular reference to a device especially constructed for hot weather so that the occupant may be comfortable regardless of the atmospheric temperature.

Sleep, in hot weather, 'is made uncomfortable or impossible with the usual mattress madenup entirely of a fibrous padding, or made up of., a pad overlying springs, since no cooling air can circulate through the mattress to cool the occupant, and since the heat of the body is in no way conducted away from the occupant, as the pad forms a heat insulating element. In this way the large part of a persons body in contact with the mattress is not available for radiation of heat or evaporation of perspiration. The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a mattress construction which will provide for a circulation of air underneath the occupant, and 2l)A which will also provide for conducting heat away from the occupant. j

Inner spring mattresses which have` a pad laid over la large number of coil springs, all built into a single unit, are frequently provided with snall openings in the side walls to provide for the 'iritake and discharge of air resulting from the compression of the mattress by a user. But such openings, although they allow the passage of air through the mattress, do not provide any cooling action on the occupant of the mattress since there still exists a relatively thick insulating pad between the air and the occupant of the mattress. A further feature of the present invention is to allow for a circulation of air directly in contact with the occupant of the mattress.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig, 1 is a plan view of a mattress embodying the invention, with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 2--2 of Fig; 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view on a 'greatly enlarged scale of a small section of the top of the mattress.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification.

Fig, 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing a further modification.

With reference first to Fig. 1, the mattress has a base I in the form of a grid having a plurality of uniformly spaced bars 2 secured at op- 55 posite ends to a rectangular element 3. On the base member are positioned a large number of uniformly spaced springs 4 which are vertically compressible, the springs in the construction shown being a conventional type of coil spring.

. Suitable clips 5 hold the springs securely to the base member.

The top member 5 for the mattress is made up of interwoven strips 6 of relatively thin narrow material which is preferably, although not necessarily, a conductor of heat. These strips are spaced apart preferably a distance approximately equal to the width of the strips, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the strips are held in spaced relation to each other by suitable permanent attachment along the edges of the top member, as by means of rivets 1, Fig. 2.

Both the longitudinal and lateral strips 6 are bent at spaced points to form depending loops 8. The loops are in line with each other, as shown, both laterally and longitudinally, and as a result, the top member, as shown in Fig.2, is made up of a plurality of relatively small rectangles 9, one of which rests on the top of each spring, and"l which are held resiliently in predetermined spaced relation to each other by the resilient loops 8. Thus, when the mattress is occupied, the relatively small rectangular portions can bend relatlveto each other and can move so that the top surface of the mattress will accommodate itself to the contours of the users body. The loops 8 hold the adjacent rectangles 9 in spaced relation to prevent the rectangles from pinching an occupant of the mattress. The top member which may be held to thesprings by clips preferably has a binding Il on its outer edge to protect the ends of the strips'. A

For sleeping in hot weather the mattress may be utilized with no covering whatever, the user lying directly on the top member 5. In this event, the openings between the strips making up the top member allow a circulation of air to contact directly with the users body through the openings, thereby effectively cooling the occupant on the side in contact with the mattress. Moreover, the strips 6, if of metal, or any other' suitable heat conducting material, will conduct heat 'rapidly away from the occupants body, thereby even more effectively cooling the occupant. This conduction of heat away from the user and dissipation of heat from the mattress top is a result of the room temperature being lower than body temperature. Although it may appear that such a mattress top would be hard, it will be understood that as the size of the rectangular elements making up the top surface is diminished, the user will be so uniformly supported over the portions contacting with the mattress top that it will be far from uncomfortable to utilize the mattress with no padding on the top thereof. Moreover, the strips 6 are relatively thin and also relatively narrow so that there are no appreciable sharp corners and the area of the openings in the top surface is relatively small.

To improve the appearance of the mattress the construction above described may, if desired, have a covering I2, Fig. 5, of canvas, or; other material applied to the bottom and a similar covering I3 applied to the side, this latter covering I3 prefer-l ably having relatively large openings I4, ,Figi 5 for the circulation of air therethrough. The cov-- erings may be secured to the mattress structure by any suitable means, as by sewing the coveringsto parts of the mattress structure.

. For hot weather use, where the occupant does not wish to sleep directly on the topfmember, there may be applied to this top member a relatively thin fabric covering I5, Fig. 5, such as light weight sheeting, which preferably has releasable fastening means I6, of' any conventional form, attached to the edge thereof for engagement with cooperating fastening means Il attached to the side wall covering. Any suitable releasable fastening means may be used; the purposeof the fastening means being to releasably secure the covering I5 in place on the top member. This covering I5 obviously should not cover the openings I4 as this would seriously decrease the cooling action resulting from air circulation.

In order that the mattress structure above described may be utilized the entire year, the invention contemplates the use of a pad applied to the upper side of the top member. To this end a pad I8 corresponding in shape to the topA member is laid thereon and this pad has releasable fastening means I9 on the edges thereof, Fig. 6, adapted `to cooperate with the fastening means Il' used in the summer for holding the fabric covering in place. Thus, during the colder months of the year the mattress structure, with the pad thereon, may be used as a conventional mattress and givesthe appearance in general of ar conventional innerlmattress so that the structure spring mattress. During the hot weather the pad will be removed and either no covering for the top member, or the thin fabric of Fig. 5, substituted.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention involves an open work top member for a mattress, preferably of heat conducting material which will accommodate itself to a users body without buckling, and will remain flat when not in use. The particular arrangement provides a mattress substantially equalling in comfort the conventional innerspring mattress, and which, with the pad of Fig. 6, may be a cold-weather can be used the entire year.

I claim:

1.. A mattress top comprising a multiplicity of relatively small substantially flat rectangular elements made up of' interwoven strips of heat conducting material, said elements being closely spaced from each other and all substantially the same plane, and resilient means interconnecting said elements and allowing a relative movement therebetween.

2. A mattress top comprising a multiplicity of relatively small substantially flat rectangular clements made up of interwoven strips of heat conducting material spaced from each other, said elements being closely spaced from each other and all in substantially the same plane, andy resilient means vin the form of depending loops in,- tegral withthe interwoven strips, said means interconnecting said elements and allowing a re1a. tive movement therebetween.

3. A mattress top comprising a multiplicity of relatively small substantially at rectangular elements, each made up of several strips of heat conducting material spacedlaterally from each other, said elements being closely spaced from each other and all in substantially the same plane. and resilient means in the form of depending loops integral with the strips, said last means providing an interconnection between adjacent rectangular elements and allowing a relative lateral or up and down movement therebetween.

ROBERT H. HAMBLIN. 

